TWI894023B - Operating method for providing item information and electronic apparatus supporting thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of providing item information in an electronic apparatus, the method including identifying a first item sold in a first store through a delivery mediating service provided by the electronic apparatus, verifying whether the first item corresponds to a stock checking available item based on a type of the first item, acquiring information on a stock quantity of the first item when the first item corresponds to the stock checking available item, and providing, when the stock quantity is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, a user terminal with information on the first item including the information on the stock quantity and first information notifying that the first item is close to out-of-stock.

Description

Operation method for providing item information and electronic equipment supporting the operation method

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing item information, and more particularly, to a method for providing information on an inventory quantity of an item and an electronic apparatus used in the method.

With the development of electronic technology, e-commerce has become a shopping field. Customers can purchase items online without having to visit a shopping mall or market in person. Items purchased online are delivered to the customer's requested delivery destination.

In the context of e-commerce, providing detailed and accurate information about an item has a significant impact on customer satisfaction with a service. Therefore, various methods for providing customers with more detailed and accurate information are discussed.

In this regard, relevant documents such as KR101756594B1, KR101500849B1 and similar documents are incorporated by reference.

[Technical Goals]

According to one aspect, an electronic device for providing item information provides information about an inventory quantity of an item.

The technical objectives to be achieved in this invention are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other technical objectives not mentioned herein from the following description. [Technical Solution]

Various exemplary embodiments may provide a method of operating an electronic device for providing item information and an electronic device for supporting the method.

According to various exemplary embodiments, a method for providing item information in an electronic device is provided, the method comprising: identifying a first item sold in a first store through a delivery intermediary service provided by the electronic device; confirming whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory based on a type of the first item; obtaining information about an inventory quantity of the first item when the first item corresponds to the item available for inventory; and providing information about the first item to a user terminal when the inventory quantity is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, including the information about the inventory quantity and first information notifying that the first item is close to being out of stock.

The type may correspond to a type in which an inventory count is to be performed based on predetermined inventory management information of the first store, and the information about the inventory quantity may be obtained based on the predetermined inventory management information.

The method may further include, when the first item does not correspond to the inventory count available item, transmitting an inventory input request for the first item to a manager terminal of the first store, and receiving the information about the inventory quantity from the manager terminal as a response to the inventory input request. Transmitting the inventory input request and receiving the information about the inventory quantity may be performed by an application for managing inventory information of a plurality of items sold in the first store.

The information regarding the inventory quantity may be updated at a preset periodic interval.

The method may further include: obtaining information about an updated inventory quantity of the first item; when the updated inventory quantity is less than or equal to the predetermined quantity, providing information about the first item that is updated to include the information about the updated inventory quantity; and when the updated inventory quantity is greater than the predetermined quantity, providing information about the first item that excludes the first information and the information about the inventory quantity.

The first information may include an icon associated with the item being out of stock.

The predetermined quantity may be determined based on a daily sales volume of the first item.

When the inventory quantity is zero, the information about the first item may include second information notifying that the first item is out of stock.

The method may further include: providing a store details page associated with the first store; obtaining a first input from a user selecting the first item on the store details page; providing an order page for the first item in response to the first input; obtaining a second input from the user selecting an order quantity for the first item on the order page and a third input from the user adding the first item to an order selection list of the user based on the order quantity; and adding the first item to the order selection list based on the order quantity in response to the second input and the third input. When the on-hand quantity is less than or equal to the predetermined quantity, the order page may include the information regarding the on-hand quantity and the first information.

The method may further include: determining whether to update the inventory quantity in response to the third input; when updating the inventory quantity, determining whether the order quantity exceeds the updated inventory quantity; and when the order quantity exceeds the updated inventory quantity, changing the order quantity to the updated inventory quantity.

The method may further include providing notification information regarding the changed order quantity when the order quantity exceeds the updated on-hand quantity.

The method may further include providing out-of-stock notification information about the first item when the updated inventory quantity is zero.

The order page may include a first icon and a second icon for adjusting the order quantity, the order quantity may be decreased in response to an input corresponding to the first icon, the order quantity may be increased in response to an input corresponding to the second icon, and the second icon may be deactivated when the order quantity is equal to the inventory quantity.

The method may further include: providing a payment page including the order selection list; obtaining a fourth input from the user on the payment page to pay for one or more items included in the order selection list; confirming whether to update the inventory quantity of the first item according to the order quantity in response to the fourth input; and providing payment information corresponding to the order selection list based on whether the inventory quantity is updated.

The method may further include, when updating the inventory quantity, confirming whether the order quantity exceeds the updated inventory quantity, and when the order quantity exceeds the updated inventory quantity, changing the order quantity to the updated inventory quantity. The payment information may include information about the changed order quantity of the first item.

The method may further include providing notification information regarding the changed order quantity when the order quantity exceeds the updated on-hand quantity.

The method may further include providing out-of-stock notification information about the first item when the updated inventory quantity is zero.

According to various exemplary embodiments, an electronic device for providing item information is provided, the electronic device including: a processor and one or more memories storing one or more instructions, wherein when executed, the one or more instructions control the processor to perform the following operations: identifying a first item sold in a first store through a delivery intermediary service provided by the electronic device; confirming whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory based on a type of the first item; obtaining information about an inventory quantity of the first item when the first item corresponds to the item available for inventory; and providing information about the first item to a user terminal when the inventory quantity is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, including the information about the inventory quantity and first information notifying that the first item is close to being out of stock.

The exemplary embodiments of the present invention described above are merely a portion of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various exemplary embodiments reflecting the technical features of the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be derived based on the detailed description below. [Effect]

The present invention has the following technical effect: by proposing a method for providing information about the inventory quantity of an item using an electronic device for providing item information, a user can be allowed to order an item with increased convenience.

The effects to be obtained in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other effects not mentioned herein from the following description.

The following exemplary embodiments are obtained by combining the components and features of each exemplary embodiment in a predetermined form. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each component or feature may be considered optional. Each component or feature may be defined in a form that is not coupled with another component or feature. In addition, some components and features may be combined with each other to implement each exemplary embodiment. The order of the operations described in each exemplary embodiment may be changed. Some components or features of any of the exemplary embodiments may be included in other exemplary embodiments, or may be replaced with corresponding components or features of other exemplary embodiments.

In the description of the drawings, processes or steps that may obscure the gist of the exemplary embodiments and the like are not described, and processes or steps that can be understood by those skilled in the art are not described.

Throughout the specification, when a part "includes or includes" a constituent element, unless otherwise stated, this means that the part may further include other constituent elements rather than excluding other constituent elements. In addition, terms such as "part," "-or," "-device," "module," and the like used herein may refer to a unit that performs at least one function or operation, and the unit may be implemented as hardware or software, or may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software. In addition, unless otherwise expressly provided in the description of the various exemplary embodiments (specifically, the content in the scope of the invention application), the words "a (or an)", "one," "the," and similar words may be used to include singular or plural forms.

Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description disclosed below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended to describe examples of various exemplary embodiments and is not limited thereto.

Furthermore, specific terms used in each exemplary embodiment are provided to facilitate overall understanding of each exemplary embodiment, and the use of these specific terms may be changed to other terms without departing from the technical concepts of each exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an item information providing system for implementing an operating method of an electronic device for providing item information description according to various exemplary embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1 , according to various exemplary embodiments, the item information provision system can be implemented using various types of electronic devices. For example, the item information provision system can be implemented in a server device 100 , a user device 200 corresponding to a user, and an administrator device 300 corresponding to a store. In other words, each of the server device 100 , the user device 200 , and the administrator device 300 can perform operations according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention based on the item information provision system implemented in each device. However, according to various exemplary embodiments, the item information provision system is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 1 , and can be implemented using various other types of electronic devices and servers.

According to various exemplary embodiments, the server device 100 may be a device that performs wired and wireless communications with a plurality of user devices 200 or a plurality of manager devices 300 and includes a large-capacity storage device. For example, the server device 100 may be a cloud device that interlocks with a plurality of user devices 200 or a plurality of manager devices 300.

According to various exemplary embodiments, the user device 200 and the administrator device 300 may be a device that can be used by an individual user or an administrator of a store, such as a desktop personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a mobile terminal, or the like. In addition, other electronic devices that perform similar functions may be used as the user device 200 and the administrator device 300.

According to various exemplary embodiments, the item information provision system may include various operating modules. A module included in the item information provision system may be computer code or one or more instructions that cause a physical device (e.g., server device 100, user device 200, or administrator device 300) implementing the item information provision system (or included in the physical device) to perform an assigned operation. In other words, in a physical device implementing the item information provision system, multiple modules may be stored in a memory in the form of computer code. When executed by a computer, the multiple modules stored in the memory may be configured to cause the physical device to perform the assigned operations corresponding to the multiple modules.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device, a user device, and a manager device according to various exemplary embodiments.

2 , the server device 100 , the user device 200 , and the administrator device 300 may each include an input/output portion 210 , a communication portion 220 , a storage 230 , and a processor 240 .

The input/output portion 210 can be various interfaces, ports, or the like that receive user input or output information to the user. The input/output portion 210 can include an input module and an output module. The input module receives user input from a user. User input can be input in various forms, including keyboard input, touch input, and voice input. Examples of input modules that receive user input may include a traditional keypad or keyboard, a mouse, a touch sensor that senses a user's touch, a microphone that receives an audio signal, a camera that recognizes a gesture or the like through image recognition, a proximity sensor that senses the approach of a user and includes at least one of an illumination sensor or an infrared sensor, a motion sensor that recognizes a user's movement through an accelerometer or a gyroscope sensor, and various input sections that sense or input various forms of user input. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the input module may include at least one of the devices listed above. Here, the touch sensor can be implemented by a piezoelectric or capacitive touch sensor that senses a touch via a touch panel or a touch film attached to a display panel, an optical touch sensor that senses a touch by an optical method, or the like. In addition, the input module can be implemented in the form of an input interface (USB port, PS/2 port, or the like) connected to an external input device that receives user input, rather than a device that senses user input itself. In addition, the output module can output multiple pieces of information of various types. The output module may include at least one of a display for outputting an image, a speaker for outputting a sound, a tactile device for generating a vibration, and various other forms of output parts. In addition, the output module can also be implemented in the form of an output interface of one of the port types connected to the above-mentioned individual output parts.

As an example, an output module in the form of a display can display text, a static image, and a moving image. The display may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flat panel display (FPD), a transparent display, a curved display, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display, a holographic display, a projector, and other types of devices capable of performing image output functions. Such a display may be in the form of a touch display integrally configured with the touch sensor of the input module.

The communication portion 220 can communicate with another device. Thus, each of the server device 100, the user device 200, and the administrator device 300 can transmit information to or receive information from another device via the communication portion 220. For example, the server device 100, the user device 200, and the administrator device 300 can use the communication portion 220 to communicate with each other or with another device.

Here, communication (i.e., transmission and reception of data) can be performed in a wired or wireless manner. For this purpose, the communication portion may include a wired communication module connected to the Internet or the like via a local area network (LAN), a mobile communication module connected to a mobile communication network via a mobile communication base station to transmit and receive data, a near field communication module using a wireless local area network (WLAN) family of communication solutions (such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)) or a wireless personal area network (WPAN) family of communication solutions (such as Bluetooth or Zigbee), a satellite communication module using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (such as a global positioning system), or a combination thereof.

The memory 230 can store various pieces of information. The memory 230 can store data temporarily or semi-permanently. For example, an operating system (OS) used to drive the server device 100, data used to host a website, data related to a program or application used to generate Braille (e.g., a web application), or the like can be stored in the memory of the server device 100. Furthermore, the memory can store modules in the form of computer program code, as described above.

Examples of the memory 230 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and the like. Such a memory may be provided as a built-in type or a removable type.

The processor 240 controls the overall operation of the server device 100, the user device 200, and the administrator device 300. To this end, the processor 240 can perform various information calculations and processing and control the operation of the components of the server device 100. For example, the processor 240 can execute a program or application for providing item information. The processor 240 can be implemented using a computer or a device similar to a computer, depending on hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In hardware, the processor 240 can be implemented as an electronic circuit that processes electrical signals to perform control functions, or in software, it can be implemented as a program that drives the hardware processor 240. Meanwhile, unless otherwise specifically stated in the following description, the operations of the server device 100, user device 200, and administrator device 300 can be interpreted as being performed under the control of the processor 240. That is, when the modules implemented in the item information providing system described above are executed, it can be interpreted as the processor 240 controlling the server device 100, user device 200, and administrator device 300 to perform the following operations.

In general, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various ways. For example, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, a combination thereof, or the like.

In the case of hardware implementation, according to various exemplary embodiments, a method may be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or the like.

In the case of firmware or software implementation, according to various exemplary embodiments, a method may be implemented in the form of a module, procedure, or function that performs the functions or operations described below. For example, software code may be stored in a memory and driven by a processor. The memory may be located internally or externally to the processor and may transmit data to or receive data from the processor via various known devices.

The following describes exemplary embodiments in more detail based on the technical concepts described above. The content described above can be applied to each exemplary embodiment to be described below. For example, operations, functions, terms, or the like not defined in each exemplary embodiment to be described below can be implemented and described based on the content described above.

In the following description, an exemplary embodiment in which the server device 100 performs an item information providing operation will be described. According to each exemplary embodiment, the user device 200 that has received the item information from the server device 100 can output the item information.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operating method of the server device 100 for providing item information according to various exemplary embodiments.

3 , the server device 100 may provide information about an item. To perform an operation of providing information about an item, in operation 301, the server device 100 may identify a first item sold in a first store through a delivery intermediary service provided by the server device 100. In operation 303, the server device 100 may determine whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory based on a type of the first item. In operation 305, if the first item corresponds to the item available for inventory, the server device 100 may obtain information about an inventory quantity of the first item. In operation 307, if the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, the server device 200 may provide information about the first item, including information about the inventory quantity and first information notifying the user device 200 that the first item is close to being out of stock.

Hereinafter, a service related to the server device 100 or a delivery intermediary service provided by the server device 100 may correspond to a service that mediates the delivery of an item between various stores registered in the service and a plurality of users using the service. In addition, an item for which a delivery order is processed may correspond to a food item. A food item may be understood to have the same meaning as various other terms indicating food-related items (such as a dish, a food menu, or a meal). A store associated with the service related to the server device 100 may correspond to a store that sells and delivers food items, and may be understood to have the same meaning as various other terms indicating a location where food items are to be sold (such as a store, a shop, and a restaurant).

That is, in the delivery intermediary service provided by the server device 100, a plurality of users can input an order request to order an item through a store in the corresponding service. In this example, the store can recognize the input order request received through the corresponding service and prepare the ordered item in response to the received order request. When the preparation of the ordered item is completed in the store, delivery request information can be input through the corresponding service. When the delivery request information is recognized, a delivery person can visit the store, pick up the item, and deliver the item to the user's address information. At this time, a delivery order of the user can be placed on a store detail page of the store. When the delivery order is accepted, the delivery person's real-time location information can be provided and managed in the server device 100.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 301, the server device 100 may identify a first item sold in a first store through a delivery intermediary service.

For example, a delivery intermediary service may correspond to a service that facilitates the delivery of an item between various stores registered with the service and multiple users utilizing the service. Alternatively, a first store may correspond to a store that sells and delivers a food item in conjunction with the service. The first item may correspond to a food item sold at the first store.

For example, the first item may be an item with a limited sales quantity, or an item whose stock quantity is continuously identified and tracked by the store or server device 100 due to the need to manage inventory daily or within a predetermined period and provide users with information about the stock quantity.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 303, the server device 100 may confirm whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory counting based on the type of the first item.

For example, the type of item used by the server device 100 to confirm whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory count in operation 303 may be one of the following: 1) in a case where inventory management information previously set or input for a plurality of items sold in the store and the reserved item is included in one of the plurality of items, whether an inventory count of the reserved item is available based on the inventory management information; or 2) in a case where an inventory input from the store is required due to the absence of inventory management information currently identified for the reserved item, whether an inventory count of the reserved item is available through an additional inventory input provided by the store.

Here, the inventory management information previously set or input for a plurality of items sold in a store may indicate inventory management information set or input by the store for the plurality of items based on a predetermined time point (e.g., a time point when the store is open). In the set inventory management information or the input inventory management information, when sales information of each item is recognized based on an item sales situation, the quantity of each item is automatically reduced, when stocking information of the corresponding item is recognized, the quantity of each item is automatically increased, or when an item is sold out, sold-out information is added. Thus, the set inventory management information or the input inventory management information can be set to automatically include and manage information about the current inventory quantity of a plurality of items, without requiring the store to perform an additional input operation combining various information about the inventory of the items.

The server device 100 may identify the type of the first item according to operation 303, determine whether the type of the first item corresponds to an inventory inventory available type based on the inventory management information configured for the first store, and confirm whether the first item is included in a plurality of items whose inventory is managed in the first store as configured in the inventory management information.

When it is confirmed that the first item is included in the plurality of items and corresponds to an item available for inventory counting, that is, when the type of the first item corresponds to a type available for inventory counting based on the inventory management information configured for the first store, the server device 100 may obtain information regarding the inventory quantity of the first item based on the configured inventory management information. For example, when it is confirmed that the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory counting, the server device 100 may access the inventory management information configured for the first store to retrieve or identify information regarding the inventory quantity of the first item.

In contrast, when it is determined that the first item is not included in the plurality of items and does not correspond to an item available for inventory counting, that is, when the type of the first item does not correspond to a type available for inventory counting based on the inventory management information configured for the first store, the server device 100 may transmit an inventory input request for the first item to the manager device 300 corresponding to the first store. In other words, since the inventory quantity of the first item is not obtained from the inventory management information configured for the first store, the server device 100 may transmit a request to the store to input the inventory quantity of the first item.

When a store directly inputs and processes the inventory quantity of a first item in response to an inventory input request, the server device 100 may receive information indicating the availability of the first item or the inventory quantity of the first item from the administrator device 300 corresponding to the first store. If the first item is out of stock, the store may transmit information indicating the out-of-stock condition or unavailable status of the first item to the server device 100 via the administrator device 300. In this case, upon receiving the corresponding information from the administrator device 300, the server device 100 may set information associated with the out-of-stock condition or the suspension of sales of the first item.

In this example, an operation of the server device 100 including identification of inventory management information, transmission of an inventory request, and receipt of information regarding inventory quantities can be performed by an application interlocked with the server device 100. The application can be installed in a point-of-sale (POS) terminal and configured to perform functions such as identifying inventory management information for each store, transmitting an inventory input request to the store, or enabling the store to directly input the inventory of an item.

Furthermore, if another application related to another service is installed on each store's POS terminal, the application can be configured to integrate with the other application to retrieve or identify predetermined information from the other application. In this case, the application can be configured to access the other application, retrieve or identify inventory management information for the store managed by the other application, and request or instruct the other application to transmit an inventory input request to the store.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 305, when the first item corresponds to an inventory count available item, the server device 100 may obtain information about the inventory quantity of the first item.

For example, whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory counting can be determined based on the server device 100 identifying the type of the first item in operation 303. Furthermore, the server device 100 obtaining information about the inventory quantity of the first item in operation 305 can include obtaining information about the inventory quantity of the first item from the store's configured inventory management information, or transmitting an inventory input request for the first item to the store and receiving information about the inventory quantity of the first item from the store.

For example, the information regarding the inventory quantity of the first item obtained by the server device 100 in operation 305 may be information updated at a preset periodic interval. In other words, the store may update the configured inventory management information at a preset periodic interval. The server device 100 may recognize the information updated at the preset periodic interval and thereby recognize the inventory quantity of the first item updated at the preset periodic interval.

The updated information regarding the inventory quantity identified by server device 100 for the first item can be used for out-of-stock notification information and information regarding the inventory quantity of the first item provided to the user by server device 100 in operation 307 described below. For example, in operation 307, when the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, server device 100 may provide information regarding the first item that is configured to include information notifying that the first item is nearing out-of-stock and information regarding a remaining inventory quantity of the first item. In this example, when the inventory quantity of the first item is newly updated and when server device 100 obtains information regarding the updated inventory quantity, server device 100 may replace operation 307 with a similar or different operation based on the updated inventory quantity, or may further perform an additional information provision operation in addition to operation 307.

If the updated inventory quantity for the first item is still less than or equal to the predetermined quantity, the server device 100 may confirm that the first item is nearly out of stock based on the updated inventory quantity and provide updated information about the first item to include information about the updated inventory quantity. Thus, the updated information about the first item may include information about the updated inventory quantity and also include information notifying that the first item is nearly out of stock.

In contrast, when the updated inventory quantity for the first item is greater than a predetermined quantity, the server device 100 can recognize that the updated inventory quantity is sufficient, and therefore the first item will not be immediately out of stock. The server device 100 then provides information about the first item that is configured to exclude information about the inventory quantity of the first item and information notifying the user that the first item is nearing a stock-out. In other words, because the quantity of the first item is sufficient, there is no need to inform the user of the remaining inventory quantity or an imminent stock-out. Therefore, the configured information about the first item may not include information about the inventory quantity of the first item and information notifying the user that the first item is nearing a stock-out.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 307 , when the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, the server device 100 may provide information about the first item, including first information notifying that the first item is close to being out of stock and information about the inventory quantity.

For example, a predetermined quantity, which serves as a threshold value for server device 100 to set information about a first item, including first information notifying that the first item is nearing out-of-stock and information regarding the inventory quantity, can be set based on various references. As one example, the predetermined quantity can be determined based on the daily sales volume of the first item. If the first item is a popular item and therefore has high sales volume or a high sales rate within a predetermined time period, server device 100 can determine the predetermined quantity to be relatively large, allowing users to purchase the first item based on a relatively flexible inventory status. As another example, the predetermined quantity can be determined as a fixed value, regardless of an attribute of the item. In this example, the predetermined quantity may be determined by applying the same value to all items sold in the store through the service associated with the server device 100 without considering the attributes of the items (such as sales quantity, type, and the like).

For example, the first information included in the information about the first item provided by the server device 100 according to operation 307 may include a text indicating that the first item is nearly out of stock and an icon related to the nearly out of stock situation.

For example, when the inventory quantity of the first item does not exist, that is, when the inventory quantity of the first item is zero, the information about the first item provided by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 307 may include second information notifying that the first item is out of stock. Unlike the case where the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to the predetermined quantity but is still retained in operation 307, when the inventory quantity of the first item does not exist, the server device 100 may provide information notifying that the first item is out of stock.

The server device 100 performing the item information provision operation according to FIG. 3 may further perform an operation of adding an item to an order selection list in response to a user input of adding the item to the order selection list, as shown in FIG. 4 , or further perform an operation of providing payment information corresponding to the order selection list in response to a user input of paying for the item, as shown in FIG. 5 . In this example, the various exemplary embodiments related to the inventory quantity of the first item described with reference to FIG. 3 may be associated with and applied to the operations of the server device 100 described later with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 .

FIG4 is a diagram illustrating a method for adding an item to an order selection list of a user by the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments.

4 , the server device 100 may provide a store details page for a first store in operation 401, obtain a first input from a user selecting a first item on the store details page in operation 403, provide an order page for the first item in response to the user's first input in operation 405, obtain a second input from the user selecting an order quantity for the first item on the order page and a third input from the user adding the first item to an order selection list based on the order quantity in operation 407, and add the first item to the order selection list based on the order quantity in response to the user's second and third inputs in operation 409. The operation of the server device 100 according to FIG. 4 may include various exemplary embodiments described below.

For example, when the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, the server device 100 may configure the order page for the first item provided in operation 405 to include information about the inventory quantity of the first item and first information notifying that the first item is nearing stock-out. Specifically, when the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to the predetermined quantity, the order page for the first item provided by the server device 100 in operation 405 may include information about the inventory quantity of the first item and first information notifying that the first item is nearing stock-out. In this case, the predetermined quantity may be determined according to the various exemplary embodiments described with reference to FIG. 3 .

For example, when executing the operation of adding an item to a user's order selection list according to FIG4 , the server device 100 may determine whether to update the inventory quantity of the first item in response to the user's third input of adding the first item to the order selection list according to the order quantity. When updating the inventory quantity of the first item, the server device 100 may compare the user's order quantity for the first item with the updated inventory quantity of the first item.

Through this comparison, server device 100 can determine whether the user's order quantity for the first item exceeds the updated on-hand quantity of the first item. If the user's order quantity for the first item exceeds the updated on-hand quantity of the first item, server device 100 can change the user's order quantity to the updated on-hand quantity of the first item. In other words, the user's order quantity can be adjusted so that the order is placed based on the remaining on-hand quantity. In this example, to prevent the user from ordering the first item without knowing that the order quantity has been changed, server device 100 can provide the user with notification information regarding the changed order quantity.

When the updated stock quantity of the first item is zero, that is, when the first item is confirmed to be sold out when the user places an order, the server device 100 may provide the user with out-of-stock notification information about the first item.

For example, the order page for the first item provided by the server device 100 according to operation 405 may include a first icon and a second icon for the user to adjust the order quantity of the first item. When an input corresponding to the first icon of the user is applied, the order quantity of the first item may be reduced. When an input corresponding to the second icon of the user is applied, the order quantity of the first item may be increased. For example, the first icon may be an icon displayed as "(-)", which indicates a decrease in the order quantity, and the second icon may be an icon displayed as "(+)", which indicates an increase in the order quantity. When an order quantity limit is set due to a reason such as a limit on the inventory quantity of the first item, the user may repeatedly apply an input to the second icon until the order quantity of the first item is set to be equal to the inventory quantity of the first item. In this case, since the order quantity is no longer increasing, the second icon can be set to undo activation.

The server device 100's operation of deactivating the second icon for increasing the order quantity can also be understood as an operation that restricts the user's order quantity setting for the first item. This restriction on the order quantity setting applies not only to the case where the order quantity of the first item is set equal to the on-hand quantity of the first item. In other words, the server device 100 can set an order quantity limit for the first item. The set order quantity limit can be less than the on-hand quantity of the first item. The user can order up to the set order quantity limit for the first item. When the order quantity of the user reaches the set order quantity limit, the second icon for increasing the order quantity on the order page of the first item provided by the server device 100 according to operation 405 may be deactivated.

The server device 100 may set an order quantity limit per user to restrict each user from ordering a predetermined quantity of the first item. Specifically, as in operation 307, the order quantity limit per user may be set in response to a situation where excess inventory is due to the inventory quantity of the first item being less than or equal to the predetermined quantity. The order quantity limit per user may be set to a fixed value or based on the average order quantity per order request for the first item during each business hour of the first store, as described in the following exemplary embodiments.

For example, server device 100 may identify multiple order requests for a first item sold at a first store during a predetermined time period. Based on the identified order requests, server device 100 may obtain information regarding an average order quantity per order request for the first item within each of a plurality of unit time periods into which the first store's business hours are divided. For example, if a store's business hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., unit time periods may be set that divide the business hours into two-hour intervals (e.g., 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., ..., 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the like). In this example, when the first item corresponds to a food item, an average order quantity per order request may be higher in a unit time period of 12:00 to 14:00 corresponding to lunch time or in a unit time period of 18:00 to 20:00 corresponding to dinner time compared to other unit time periods.

In a first unit period among a plurality of unit periods included in the business hours dividing the first store, when the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to the predetermined quantity according to operation 307, that is, when a remaining inventory quantity of the first item in the first unit period is less than or equal to the predetermined quantity and is determined to be insufficient, the server device 100 can identify a first average order quantity of the first item corresponding to the first unit period and set a value of the identified first average order quantity or a value obtained by rounding the first average order quantity up or down to the order quantity limit per user in the first unit period.

During the first unit time period, when the inventory quantity of the first item is less than or equal to the predetermined quantity according to operation 307, and when the server device 100 sets an order quantity limit for each user, expanding from operation 307, the server device 100 may provide the user device 200 with information about the first item, including information about the inventory quantity of the first item, first information notifying that the first item is close to being out of stock, and information about the order quantity limit for each user.

However, if the first average order quantity corresponding to the first unit period is set to an excessively large value, and if a per-user order quantity limit is set based on the first average order quantity, the first item may be out of stock even with one or two order requests. For example, if the remaining inventory quantity of the first item is ten, and the first average order quantity corresponding to the first unit period is greater than five, the per-user order quantity limit may be set to be relatively larger than the remaining inventory quantity. As a result, the first item may be out of stock even with only two orders. To prevent this, server device 100 may determine the first average order quantity corresponding to the first unit period based on a ratio between the predetermined quantity according to operation 307 and the average order quantity.

That is, when identifying the first average order quantity, the server device 100 may prioritize identifying a first value obtained by averaging the order quantity of the first item per order request within a first unit period based on a plurality of order requests for the first item sold in the first store within a predetermined time period, and confirming whether a ratio of the predetermined quantity according to operation 307 to the first value is greater than or equal to a predetermined ratio. When the ratio of the predetermined quantity according to operation 307 to the first value is greater than or equal to the predetermined ratio, and when the first value is set as the average order quantity, the number of orders that can be received for the remaining inventory based on the set average order quantity may be relatively large. Therefore, the server device 100 may identify the first value as the first average order quantity corresponding to the first unit time period.

For example, when the predetermined quantity is 10 and the first value is 1.5, approximately seven orders can be received based on the first value. In this example, the server device 100 can determine that the number of orders that can be received is relatively large for the remaining inventory based on the first value, identify 1.5 as the first average order quantity, and determine the order quantity limit for each user based on the corresponding value.

In contrast, when the ratio of the predetermined quantity to the first value according to operation 307 is less than the predetermined ratio, and when the first value is set as the average order quantity, the number of orders that can be received for the remaining inventory based on the set average order quantity may be relatively small. In this case, server device 100 may identify a second value obtained by averaging the order quantity of the first item per order request for a plurality of order requests for a first item sold in a first store within a predetermined time period, determined in ascending order based on the order quantity of the first item. Generally speaking, a small number of order requests with excessively large order quantities may result in a large average order quantity. Therefore, server device 100 can obtain a second value by averaging the order quantity of the first item per order request within the first unit period based on the remaining order requests excluding the few orders, and then determine whether a ratio between the predetermined quantity according to operation 307 and the second value is greater than or equal to a predetermined ratio. If the ratio between the predetermined quantity according to operation 307 and the second value is greater than or equal to the predetermined ratio, and if the second value is set to the average order quantity, the number of orders that can be received for the remaining inventory based on the set average order quantity may be relatively large. Therefore, server device 100 can identify the second value as the first average order quantity corresponding to the first unit period.

For example, if the predetermined quantity used as a criterion for determining inventory shortage is 20, and the first value is 5, approximately four orders can be received based on the corresponding order quantity. Therefore, server device 100 may determine that the number of orders that can be received for the remaining inventory based on the first value is relatively small. In this case, server device 100 may re-average the remaining order requests, excluding a few order requests with relatively large order quantities, and obtain the order quantity of the first item per order request within the first unit time period. When the second value obtained through this averaging is 2.5, approximately eight orders can be received based on the corresponding order quantity. Therefore, the server device 100 may determine that the number of orders that can be received for the remaining inventory is relatively large based on the second value, identify 2.5 as the first average order quantity, and determine the order quantity limit for each user based on the corresponding value.

Thus, the server device 100 can set an order quantity limit for the user based on an average order quantity in each time period when the stock quantity of the first item is insufficient. In this example, the user's identification information can be used to prevent the user from attempting to repeatedly order the first item based on the order quantity limit.

FIG5 is a diagram illustrating a method for providing payment information corresponding to an order selection list of a user by the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments.

An operation of the server device 100 according to FIG. 5 may be performed based on a situation in which one or more items are included in an order selection list in response to the server device 100 performing an operation according to FIG. 4 to add items to the user's order selection list, and may be understood as an operation performed in response to an input applied by the user to pay for one or more items included in the order selection list.

Referring to FIG5 , the server device 100 may provide payment information corresponding to a user's order selection list. To perform an operation of providing payment information, the server device 100 may provide a payment page including the order selection list in operation 501, obtain a fourth input from the user on the payment page for payment of one or more items included in the order selection list in operation 503, determine whether to update the inventory quantity of a first item in response to the user's fourth input in operation 505, and provide payment information corresponding to the order selection list based on whether the inventory quantity of the first item is updated in operation 507. The operations of the server device 100 according to FIG5 may include the following exemplary embodiments.

For example, the stock quantity of the first item may be updated in response to the server device 100 confirming the update of the stock quantity of the first item according to operation 505. In this example, the server device 100 may compare an order quantity of the first item paid by the user with the updated stock quantity of the first item.

Through this comparison, the server device 100 can confirm whether the order quantity of the first item paid by the user exceeds the updated stock quantity of the first item. When the order quantity of the first item paid by the user exceeds the updated stock quantity of the first item, the server device 100 can change the user's order quantity to the updated stock quantity of the first item. In other words, the user's order quantity can be adjusted so that payment is granted only for a remaining stock quantity. The payment information provided by the server device 100 in operation 507 may include information about the changed order quantity. At this time, in order to prevent the user from paying for the first item without knowing the change in the order quantity, the server device 100 can provide the user with notification information about the changed order quantity.

When the updated stock quantity of the first item is zero, that is, when the first item is confirmed to be sold out during a payment process of the user, the server device 100 may provide the user with out-of-stock notification information regarding the first item.

Obviously, the plurality of pieces of information provided in conjunction with an article by the server device 100 performing the operations of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 according to the above exemplary embodiment can be provided in various forms through combinations thereof.

Figures 6 through 10 illustrate examples of a user interface (UI)/user experience (UX) for providing item information according to various exemplary embodiments. For example, the examples in Figures 6 through 10 may be UI/UX associated with user device 200 according to the exemplary embodiments described with reference to Figures 3 through 5 . The exemplary embodiments described with reference to the accompanying figures may be implemented based on the operations of server device 100 described with reference to Figures 3 through 5 .

Specifically, the following exemplary embodiment of the UI/UX of user device 200 can be implemented in the following manner: user device 200 receives input information from a user and transmits the input information to server device 100; server device 100 provides information corresponding to the input information to user device 200 based on the operations described with reference to Figures 3 to 5; and user device 200 then outputs the received information. However, the following exemplary embodiment related to UI/UX is not limited thereto and can be implemented in any form that can implement the exemplary embodiment of UI/UX.

FIG6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a user device 200 outputs item information through a store detail page based on an operation of the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments.

In the example of FIG6 , a page output by the user device 200 may be a store details page output in response to an input by a user in a service for identifying a store. The store details page output in the example of FIG6 may include an item list of one or more items sold in a store, as indicated by element 601.

For each item included in one or more items sold in the store, when each item corresponds to an inventory count available item or even when each item does not correspond to an inventory count available item, if an inventory quantity identified in a case in which the store has processed an inventory input for the corresponding item is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, the information about an item output when outputting the information about each item (as indicated by element symbol 603) may include text and an icon for notifying a remaining quantity of the item in stock and notifying that the item is close to being out of stock, as indicated by element symbol 605.

FIG7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user device 200 outputting item information through an order page based on an operation of the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments.

In the example of FIG7 , a page output by the user device 200 may be an order page output in response to a user input corresponding to a reserved item on the store details page of FIG6 . As indicated by reference numeral 701, the order page output in the example of FIG7 may be a page for executing a function of setting an order quantity for an item based on a user input and adding the item to an order selection list according to the order quantity.

At this time, for the item corresponding to the user input, if the inventory quantity of the item identified when the user input is applied is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, text and an icon indicating the remaining inventory quantity of the item and notifying that the item is close to being out of stock can be output, as indicated by element symbol 703. In the example of Figure 7, since the remaining inventory quantity of the item is three, the user can adjust the order quantity to a maximum of three. After setting the order quantity, the user can click the "Add to Cart" button indicated by element symbol 705 to add the items corresponding to the order quantity to the user's order selection list.

8 to 10 illustrate examples of the user device 200 outputting item information through a payment page based on an operation of the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments.

A page output by the user device 200 in the examples of Figures 8 to 10 may be a payment page output in response to an input applied by a user to pay for one or more items included in an order selection list of the user.

The payment page of FIG. 8 may display payment information indicating the user's address information, information about a store where the user is ordering an item, and information about one or more items included in the user's order selection list.

As indicated by element 801, the order quantity for an item "omelet" is set to three. Additionally, as indicated by element 803, the order quantity for an item "sandwich" is set to one. The user can input a payment for multiple items including the item "omelet" and the item "sandwich" to a payment button indicated by element 805.

The payment page of FIG. 9 may display notification information when a portion of one or more items to be paid by the user has been changed in stock quantity or is out of stock.

For example, when the user proceeds to make a payment, the stock quantity of the item "egg roll" indicated by element symbol 801 in FIG8 may be identified as two, and the item "sandwich" indicated by element symbol 803 may be sold out. In this case, in the example of FIG9 , the user device 200 may output information notifying that the item "egg roll" is out of stock and therefore changes the user's order quantity to the remaining stock quantity, and information notifying that the item "sandwich" is out of stock, as indicated by element symbol 901. When the user inputs an input to identify the output information indicated by element symbol 901, payment information including the changes in the items "egg roll" and "sandwich" may be output as shown in FIG10 .

When a portion of one or more items to be paid by the user changes in stock quantity or is sold out, the payment page of FIG. 10 may display payment information reflecting the corresponding situation.

As indicated by element 1001, the order quantity for the item "omelet" is changed to two. Furthermore, as indicated by element 1003, the item "sandwich" is out of stock. Therefore, a message notifying that the item "sandwich" is out of stock is output, and a payment for the item can be canceled. The user can input an input to a payment button indicated by element 1005 to continue payment for multiple items, including the changed quantity of the item "omelet" and excluding the item "sandwich" based on the changed quantity.

The UI/UX of user device 200 and the operations of user device 200 described with reference to Figures 6 to 10 can be performed in conjunction with the operations of server device 100 described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. The examples of the UI/UX in Figures 6 to 10 are merely examples for implementing the present invention. The various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the examples of the UI/UX in Figures 3 to 5 and can be applied to any form in which the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be implemented.

The exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples, disclosed to facilitate explanation of the technical content of the present invention and to further promote an overall understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other variations based on the technical concepts of the present invention are possible. Furthermore, the various exemplary embodiments described above may be implemented in combination with one another as needed. For example, all exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be partially combined and implemented as a system.

In addition, the method according to the present invention performed by the system or the like can be implemented in the form of program instructions, which can be executed through various computer devices and recorded on a computer-readable medium.

As described above, from a specific perspective, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be implemented using computer-readable program code in a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device capable of storing data that can be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves (e.g., for data transmission via the Internet). Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed throughout network-connected computer systems. Therefore, the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, the functional programs, codes and code snippets for implementing the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be easily interpreted by those skilled in the art to which the present invention is applied.

Furthermore, it will be understood that the apparatus and methods according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The software may be stored in a volatile or non-volatile storage device (e.g., a storage device, a memory such as a ROM, or a RAM, a memory chip, a device, or an integrated circuit), or (for example) an optical or magnetic recordable storage medium without a removable or rewritable function, or a machine (e.g., a computer) readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a magnetic disk, or a magnetic tape). It will be understood that the methods according to the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by a computer comprising a controller and a memory, a tool comprising such a memory or computer, or the like. The memory is an example of a storage medium readable by a machine and adapted to store one or more programs comprising instructions for implementing the exemplary embodiments of the present invention or a stored program.

Therefore, the present invention covers a program including program code for implementing an apparatus or method defined in the scope of the invention application of this specification, and a machine (a computer or the like) readable storage medium storing such a program. In addition, such a program may be electronically transmitted via any medium (such as a communication signal transmitted via a wired or wireless connection), and the present invention may appropriately cover equivalents thereof.

While various exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and the drawings are merely specific examples disclosed to facilitate explanation of the technical content of the present invention and further promote a comprehensive understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above exemplary embodiments of the present invention are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that other modifications and equivalent exemplary embodiments may be made. Therefore, the true technical scope of the present invention should be defined by the scope of the following invention application.

100: Server Device 200: User Device 210: Input/Output 220: Communication 230: Storage 240: Processor/Hardware 300: Administrator Device 301: Operation 303: Operation 305: Operation 307: Operation 401: Operation 403: Operation 405: Operation 407: Operation 409: Operation 501: Operation 503: Operation 505: Operation 507: Operation 601: Item List 603: Item Information 605: Text and Icons 701: Order Page 703: Text and Icons 705: "Add to Cart" Button 801: Order quantity for item "Cheese Egg Roll" 803: Order quantity for item "Sandwich" / Item "Sandwich" may be sold out 805: Payment button 901: Output information 1001: Order quantity for item "Cheese Egg Roll" 1003: Item "Sandwich" is out of stock 1005: Payment button

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an item information providing system for implementing an operating method of an electronic device for providing item information according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device, a user device, and an administrator device according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operating method of a server device 100 for providing item information according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for adding an item to a user's order selection list by the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a method for providing payment information corresponding to a user's order selection list by the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 6 illustrates an example of a user device 200 outputting item information through a store details page based on an operation of the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 7 illustrates an example of a user device 200 outputting item information through an order page based on an operation of the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments. Figures 8 through 10 illustrate examples of a user device 200 outputting item information through a payment page based on an operation of the server device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments.

301: Operation

303: Operation

305: Operation

307: Operation

Claims (14)

A method for providing item information in an electronic device, the method comprising: Identifying a first item sold in a first store through a delivery intermediary service provided by the electronic device; Confirming whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory based on a type of the first item; When the first item corresponds to the item available for inventory, obtaining information about an inventory quantity of the first item; and When the inventory quantity is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, providing information about the first item to a user terminal, including the information about the inventory quantity and first information notifying that the first item is nearly out of stock. In a first business hour period during which the inventory quantity becomes less than or equal to the predetermined quantity among a plurality of business hour periods used to distinguish the business hours of the first store, a determination is made as to whether the average order quantity per order request identified for the first item is configured as the available order quantity for the first item based on whether a ratio between the average order quantity per order request and the predetermined quantity is greater than or equal to a predetermined ratio. The method of claim 1, further comprising: When a first user of the service orders the first item when the orderable quantity of the first item is configured, identifying identification information of the first user. The method of claim 2, further comprising: Based on the identification information, configuring a restriction on the first user from repeatedly entering an order for the first item until the order quantity is available. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Obtaining a first order available quantity for each of a plurality of orders identified for the first item during the first business period. The method of claim 4 further comprises: Determining a first ratio between the first order available quantity and the predetermined quantity; and When the first ratio is greater than or equal to the predetermined ratio, configuring the first order available quantity to be the order available quantity during the first operating period. The method of claim 4 further comprises: obtaining a first ratio between the first order available quantity and the predetermined quantity; and when the first ratio is less than the predetermined ratio, obtaining a second order available quantity per order request for at least some of the orders, wherein the at least some of the orders are determined based on a sequence of smaller order quantities among the plurality of orders. The method of claim 6, further comprising: Determining a second ratio between the second order available quantity and the predetermined quantity; and When the second ratio is greater than or equal to the predetermined ratio, configuring the second order available quantity to be the order available quantity during the first operating period. The method of claim 1, wherein the type corresponds to a type of inventory count to be performed based on predetermined inventory management information of the first store, and the information regarding the inventory quantity is obtained based on the predetermined inventory management information. The method of claim 1 further comprises: When the first item does not correspond to the inventory count available item, transmitting an inventory input request for the first item to a manager terminal of the first store; and Receiving the information regarding the inventory quantity from the manager terminal as a response to the inventory input request, Wherein, transmitting the inventory input request and receiving the information regarding the inventory quantity are performed by an application for managing inventory information of a plurality of items sold in the first store. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the inventory quantity is updated at a preset periodic interval. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes an icon associated with an approaching out-of-stock situation. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined quantity is determined based on a daily sales volume of the first item. The method of claim 1, wherein when the inventory quantity is zero, the information about the first item includes second information notifying that the first item is out of stock. An electronic device for providing item information, the electronic device comprising: a processor; and one or more memories storing one or more instructions, wherein, when executed, the one or more instructions control the processor to: identify a first item sold in a first store through a delivery intermediary service provided by the electronic device; determine whether the first item corresponds to an item available for inventory based on a type of the first item; when the first item corresponds to the item available for inventory, obtain information about an inventory quantity of the first item; and when the inventory quantity is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity, provide information about the first item to a user terminal, including the information about the inventory quantity and first information notifying that the first item is close to being out of stock. In a first business hour period during which the inventory quantity becomes less than or equal to the predetermined quantity among a plurality of business hour periods used to distinguish the business hours of the first store, a determination is made as to whether the average order quantity per order request identified for the first item is configured as the available order quantity for the first item based on whether a ratio between the average order quantity per order request and the predetermined quantity is greater than or equal to a predetermined ratio.